Are you a hedgehog or a fox?
A Hedgehog Concept is not a goal, strategy, intention or plan to be the best. It’s an understanding of what you CAN be the best at.
I read about The Hedgehog Concept at least 6 years ago in Good to Great, I heard it spoken about in podcasts many times over the years, I even remember listening to Brené Brown share that she got a hedgehog cookie jar for the office to constantly keep their Hedgehog front of mind.
It wasn’t until a few years ago that I finally realised what my hedgehog was, and when I realised, it was a “well duh” moment.
For me, it’s all about creating effective managers.
Jim Collins says, “When you get your Hedgehog Concept right, it has the quiet ping of truth, like a single, clear, perfectly struck note hanging in the air in the hushed silence of a full auditorium at the end of a quiet movement of a Mozart piano concerto. There is no need to say much of anything; the quiet truth speaks for itself.”
This is exactly how I felt, and continue to feel, when I think about my Hedgehog; it’s how I feel knowing I’m living it on a daily basis.
I’m deeply passionate about building effective managers; I truly believe they have the opportunity to change the world, on an individual and global scale.
This is why I created The Effective Manager Program.
Here’s some prompts you can use to help you figure out what your Hedgehog is:
Step 1: Find what you’re deeply passionate about
- What gets you up in the morning?
- What keeps you working late (by choice)?
- What gets you excited?
Step 2: What are you best at?
- What do you actually have the potential to be the best at?
- What can you not be the best at?
Step 3: Discover what drives your economic engine
- What can you do that generates sustained income, revenue and profit
Step 4: Find the overlap
Your Hedgehog is the central piece, where all 3 of the circles overlap.
When you ask yourself these questions, your Hedgehog might be obvious, or, like me, it might take you a while to figure out.
Once you figure it out, every decision you make should be in service of your Hedgehog.
Do you know what your hedgehog is?
